PM calls for common sense and justice in public transport reform

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi this morning called for common sense and justice to prevail in the public transport reform.

Speaking during a political activity, he said that last week the government presented its compensation proposals to the Public Transport Association.

Originally, he said, the amounts offered for buses were calculated on the average price buses sold for over the past 10 years.

But later, he took on the responsibility to up the offer taking the average in the past two years.

The association did not confirm its acceptance so he was now calling on common sense to prevail.

Dr Gonzi said one had to keep in mind that the compensation government was proposing had to be fair for both association members and tax payers. Negotiations, he said, were not yet over and he hoped that a fair agreement would be reached for the benefit of all.

The Prime Minister also spoke on the regeneration of Valletta and the City Gate projects.

He hoped that work on City Gate would start in the next weeks, once the Malta Environment and Planning Authority process was concluded.

The government had already rehabilitated St George’s Square and this would be further improved once Parliament, the Attorney General’s and other offices were moved out of the Palace and its ground floor would be used for exhibitions.

But for this to happen, the work on the entrance of the city, which would also be housing the new Parliament, had to be carried out.

These were projects that would employ people, Dr Gonzi said.

He said that during this legislature, the government would give the people a new entrance to the capital, a new parliament and the solution Renzo Piano was recommending for the new theatre.

Dr Gonzi said he would be discussing particular points with Mr Piano when he meets him again in the next few weeks.

The Prime Minister would not say, when asked, who would be replacing Social Policy Minister John Dalli.

He said that Mr Dalli’s grilling by MEPs showed that he was competent and the portfolio he had been assigned showed that Malta was seen by the EU as a country that could take responsibility. Outgoing Commissioner Joe Borg had helped build this reputation, Dr Gonzi said.

On the extension to the Freeport, Dr Gonzi said this was a delicate issue in which a balance between sustainability and environmental concerns had to be kept.

This was what the Mepa reform would seek to be doing.

Dr Gonzi also had birthday greetings for Labour leader Joseph Muscat, who celebrated his birthday last Friday.